quoting Arri London:
>>Jodie Kain wrote:
>>
>> quoting Arri London:
>> Dennis Montey wrote:
>> >>Is this also the case in Thai, Mongolian and
>> >> other Asian cuisines who are soooo fond of the heat contributed by
>> >>peppers?
>> >
>> >Chiles don't play any role in Mongolian cooking, as far as I can find
>> >out.
>>
>> However, ketchup is quite popular in Mongolia - a squirt on top of a
>> meat-filled dumpling (buuz). I don't believe tomatoes are grown there,
>as
>> the ketchup I saw was imported & expensive. I did see some experimental
>> farms in the northern Gobi where they grew tomatoes, melons & cucumbers
>-
>> all sliced for eating raw. Good healthy food is hard to come by
>sometimes
>> & new additions are welcome.
>
>
>The traditional Mongolian diet is perfectly healthy. Otherwise the
>population would have died out centuries ago, n'est-ce pas?

A bit of a simplification.
Perfectly healthy when the lifespan isn't that long. However, modern
Mongols are living almost as long as Western Europeans & are experiencing
diseases new to their culture, directly related to their diet. Like heart
disease, colo-rectal cancers due to constipation, kidney disease due
to meat protein,etc. So there's a new awareness of diet as it relates to
longevity. Everywhere we travelled people expressed their pride in their
mutton-based diet, however almost everyone also proudly demonstrated their
newfound interest in adding fruits & vegetables to every meal. This seemed
to be the same reason for the increased consumption of airag (fermented
mare's milk - very low alcohol but can make you very drunk) vs. vodka
which is seen (rightly) as bad for you & bad for society (although still
the most popular alcoholic beverage). ie, "I don't want to give up my
party lifestyle but I do want to live longer to continue partying" The
intellectual approach is quaint. And yes, the above is also a
simplification as my "proof" is anecdotal.
cheers,
Jodie